A/N:Re-reading the higurashi books has really ignited my creativity. And seeing as this story has been stuck in stasis for three bloody years, why don't I go back over it and see what the details are again? I can't wait to see what happens. In this chapter, we just might see Oishi and a certain detective bonding, maybe some of Satoko's uncle appearing again. But now, the die has been cast and Rika and Shinichi have their discussion.

Where the fuck was I even in this? I have little to no interest in Detective Conan anymore, but plenty of interest in Higurashi, and maybe so I'll be able to pick up the momentum. My writing has improved in the three year hiatus. I hope you guys will notice the differences.

Can Shinichi defeat Takano, as evil as she is?

""You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one."

― John Lennon

Chapter 11 The light of destiny shines brightly

Destiny was something she could easily predict. For the most part, destiny was a cruel fate to her and a good friend. Sometimes it allowed her to have small dazzling rays of hope-such as Akasaka returning, and then in other instances, it would make them vanish. Sometimes it would stab her in the back cruelly. Other times it seemed like something good was coming, then bad stuff would result.

Despite looking like a twelve-year-old, Rika Furude was much older than she was physically, probably around hundreds of years old. She was usually never surprised. So why was it that now all her calculations had been thrown out of the equation by the addition of one-no, two-new players?

People she'd never seen in this timeline at all had suddenly turned up. At first, she'd assumed Hanyuu was the one responsible, but after the shy deity had denied any knowledge, her mind reasoned that maybe, just maybe, whatever was controlling her life had sent these two here. Whether to toy with her or make her life hell or make their lives hell was up for debate.

Still, she had to wonder as she watched the teen boy walk behind her, still looking at her sharply; with that analytical look on his face. At times she wondered if he was really an ordinary teen. No, of course he wasn't. Why else would he believe her story about repeating childhood? No one could believe that. Not at all. Not unless-

Rika paused, turning and looking back at the boy. She knew that Satoko and the others were probably a little worried, but they could wait. She needed answers. "How come you're not calling me a liar?"

He looked at her, then glanced at the identical teen behind him, who nodded.

"Because that sort of thing is highly probable. Being trapped in childhood is possible." He said seriously.

"You can't understand! How it feels to be-not taken seriously, ignored-"

He placed his hand on her head and patted her head softly. It wasn't rough like Keiichi's but rather soft and gentle. "What if I said I did? Let me begin by saying my story starts two years ago, I was a famous detective, you see. I ran afoul of some miscreants and they decided to drug me to silence me. I was supposed to die that night."

"Kudo." Kaito began.

"She has a right to know this. Both of them. I have a feeling Rika-san and Hanyuu-san won't repeat these words to anyone else." He said, "When I woke, I found that I had reverted physically into a child. For two years, I was forced to live under another name and live as a child again. It was humiliating-all that I'd worked for, all the things that I'd wanted to do-go to high school, go to college, graduate, work, be with the girl I used to love-thrown aside. I had to act like an actual kid and it was horrible. And to live with someone who spat on your name and have people forget about you, it was hell."

"Kudo-" Rika began, looking at him with wide eyes, but he continued on.

"I had to watch my best friend cry over me night after night and never be able to tell her the truth. I was afraid they would kill me again. And succeed. Eventually, I discovered I could return to this form, but only for a few hours. And then I was trapped again. Stuck in the same thing over and over. Solving mysteries is fun, but when you're stuck looking like this, you start losing interest in everything. Here I was, a grown adult, a teen, stuck learning little kid algebra, being told to stop being interested in adult things. How was I supposed to feel? It doesn't end there. I've been unable to save people. My friend too suffered because of me. She made the drug that could've killed me, but her parents were killed by this organization and she was nearly killed by them, too."

"I knew all of this when I first met you," Hanyuu remarked, "As I am a goddess, I know everything about a person. You are a strong human, Kudo Shinichi. As you are also, Kuroba Kaito."

"You're a goddess?" Shinichi muttered. "I see. If age reversal exists, then I suppose gods exist, too. I got sick of hiding the truth, eventually I came out to Ran about it. It ended in the worst way possible. She threw me out and hasn't talked to me for the past several months. I suppose it was my fault, for her to imagine that the young boy she talked to so much and bonded with wasn't real. I've never painfully died, but I've been shot, been close to death. I understand how it feels to be close to giving up."

"I'm so glad you're here," Rika moaned. "No one has listened to me before besides Keiichi. In some other worlds, he's remembered and tried to help others. Help us save this town."

"I'm...not sure what all I can necessarily do, but I can try my best to save you. I hate seeing girls cry." He remarked, smiling, "And Kaito here has his own ghost stories."

"My dad was murdered and I still don't know who did it." Kaito said flatly.

"You must beware of several individuals in this town, Kudo and Kaito. First is Oishi Kuraudo. He is a policeman but he is corrupt and seeks to use people as moles. He believes Mion's family is responsible for a series of disappearances and murders."

"Are they really?" Shinichi remarked. "She doesn't seem the type."

"No!" Rika said, "They're innocent. Then there's Miyo-"

"My, if it isn't Rika-chan. Who are these two boys? Outsiders to the village, that's not good, you'll be struck with Oyashiro-sama's curse and die!"

Shinichi looked around in time to see a woman with long blond hair and golden eyes that drooped slightly looking at him. He couldn't help but repress a shudder. Those eyes, it was like he was looking at Vermouth again.

"And you are?" He said coolly.

"Miyo Takano, nurse down at the clinic. You are a person I've never seen before. Are you two perhaps twins? How unnatural." She said, "But I do love unnatural things."

Suddenly, a smoke bomb was let off and when the smoke cleared, Takano was bewildered to find the two boys gone and Rika and Hanyuu strangely absent. She cursed. What if these two were onto her?

She couldn't let them erase her plans. Who the hell were they? She had no confirmed information on those two. They didn't exist in any of Japan's censuses for the year of 1983.

Perhaps they were under false names, perhaps?

"Are you all right?" Kaito asked, swinging from up in a tree, holding Hanyuu in one arm, while Shinichi held Rika in the other.

"Nice move, Kaito. I'm surprised you didn't prank her." Shinichi said.

"She's too dangerous," Kaito muttered, "She gives off the vibe of Koizumi. Not someone I want to be around."

"Yeah," Shinichi muttered, "Her eyes are those of a killer."

When they jumped down from the tree, a familiar brunette was waiting for them, it was Rena, smiling.

"So two detectives enrolled in our school. I think that's really cool. Thank you for saving Rika-chan and Hanyuu-chan. Rena can tell you two are good people. You don't lie. Or if you do, it's necessary."

"You could be a good detective, Rena-san." Shinichi said appraisingly. "You'd do well at it."

Rena flushed. "I just like reading those novels. I'm not that smart. But yes, you two were sent here by Oyashiro-sama?"

"We're from the future. Everything of ours that is a modern invention ceases to work here." Kaito replied, holding up his cell phone which looked dead.

"Telephones are that small?" Rena queried.

"Yes," Shinichi said. "We're sorry we hid it from you guys. Who'd believe time travelers?"

Beside him, Rika stifled a giggle. Shinichi rolled his eyes.

"Takano-san is very much like a hawk. I would watch her closely, Kudo-kun." Rena said, narrowing her eyes at the dangerous woman.

Later that day, as Shinichi and Kaito were preparing to head home to their time, they spotted an old man walking towards them.

"I bet that creepy, pedophilic-looking man is the detective Rika-chan warned us of." Kaito purred. "You gonna come into his van?"

"Only to kick him with a soccer ball." Shinichi quipped.

"You're Kudo-kun, hm? Ryuugu-san told me you're a detective, though I've never heard of you. I'm Oishi Kuraudo."

When Oishi extended his hand, Shinichi reluctantly shook it. He did trust in Rika-chan.

But could detectives really be so bad? He frowned, biting his lip.

"Pleasure to meet you."

He noticed how Kaito seemed distinctly uncomfortable and whispered, "Act in character."

"I'm Shinichi's assistant, Kaito at your service! A magician."

"I see! You might do well entertaining the kids here at the school. You two seem very popular with the young ladies." He said, "Furude-san, I mean."

"Not like that," Shinichi explained, "I have some things I would like to discuss."

"What a coincidence, I was about to ask that myself. Who are you two? You don't seem to exist on Hinamizawan police records."